Tuesday 22 November 2016

Fixing white goods and the spare parts scam

I'm sure a lot of people have had this problem. Some of their kitchen appliances (white goods) have failed and normally the appliance is quite a few years old. Now I know a lot of people aren't into pulling their electrical items apart, so will inevitably call somebody out who will say one of the following:

  • "Appliance is too old, it needs replacing"
  • "Uneconomical to repair, replace it"
  • "Parts are hard to get for this now"
Or one of another similar list of reasons. Now the problem is this, manufacturers like to keep updating their product line, give you the shiny new colour, new front control panel with more buttons, make it more ECO-friendly, or one of many other things. Most of this is so they can sell more appliances, etc. Which is fine. Except in a lot of these items (Dishwashers, fridges, cooker, washing machine, dryer, microwave, television, DVD, etc) we don't buy regularly, we keep them for a long time and run them until they completely die. They get quite a bit of abuse. Think about your fridge for example. On 24x7, if it misses 5 minutes of being on you'll panic and curse at the device. So that 24x7 is quite punishing on the components, the compressor pump, cooling pipes, electronic (or mechanical) temperature controller, etc. And in the good old days, they were made to last, the components were decent quality, they were manufactured with care and tested well for their runtime expectations.
Now unfortunately I don't believe that's the case with modern devices. I don't believe the components are made to a good standard, they're not tested for longevity and in some cases are assembled and rushed out of the factory so quickly that genuine errors or details are missed that will cause premature (?) failure of the components.

So now onto my way of doing things. I very rarely call in a repairer to look into these things. I'll always take a look myself first. A lot of household appliances are quite simple in how they operate and all work to a few simple principles. Generally, power goes in, gets converted, switched or regulated and will then drive one or more items to produce the end result (Heck, apply that to everything in your life!).
Now onto the parts. Parts ARE available for pretty much everything. And they aren't as specific as the manufacturer or assembler likes to make you think. After all, a pump can be used in many appliances (Washing machine, dryer, dishwasher), so why would one pump not work for all those appliances? Well generally it's because of the fittings the manufacturer (Or assembler, because let's face it, the dishwasher company won't manufacture the pump, they'll buy it in to specification and assemble it into their device) decided to use that makes it 'unique' to their product.

That takes me onto replacement parts. The spare parts industry is huge, and it can be as people need spare parts, either the fitter who comes out and fixes your appliances, or the DIYer who needs the spare part. Either way we know we need xyz part for our shiny appliance, and so we happily tap that appliance and part into the web and duly order the part we're told we need.
I'm guilty of that. I realised this over the past few days, and now I've realised it, I'm banging my head against the desk. Why would it be a specific part for that appliance? Surely if we know the specifications, we can use any old part. OK we might have to adapt it, or use a different fitting, but that ultimately will work! (Caveat, if you don't know what you're doing with electical systems, plumbing, etc, be wary of this approach!)
So just for future, THINK before ordering the part you're told to for a specific appliance, model and part. Look wider and think, can I do this using more basic off the shelf parts? Try local DIY store or plumber/builders merchants, as chances are the pipe, pump, fitting, electrical switch, motor, etc, are easily sourced and will fit with the right tweak or enclosure!

Also, be wary of the online spare parts industry, specifically for your white goods. These guys are also into ripping you off, stating 'alternative' similar parts or similar wording. Most times their part/product listing database is nowhere near accurate. E.g. you tell it you want part xyz for appliance manufactured by abc model def. Their database tells you a similar part you need, but will ALWAYS contain the words "Please check specifications before ordering/fitting" which basically means they're trying to sell you anything they want, regardless of if it'll fit or not! They'll then try to get you to by the "Genuine" manufacturer part at higher cost, but then won't state the dimensions or specifications for this manufacturer part!
Here is a DIRECT quote from such a website, when somebody dares to ask the specifications of a "genuine" manufacturer spare part:

"what is the internal diameter of the rubber end ?" - User question
"Our parts usually do not have measurements listed as they are model specific. As long as your model number matches this part, it will fit your appliance." - website answer

9 comments:

  1. This webpage does not display correctly on my blackberry – you might want to try and repair that CNH prices

    ReplyDelete
  2. Someone essentially lend a hand to make critically articles I’d state. That is the first time I frequented your website page and so far? I amazed with the research you made to create this actual post extraordinary. Wonderful activity!  zf transmission

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good day I am so glad I found your web site, I really found you by mistake, while I was looking on Aol for something else, Regardless I am here now and would just like to say thank you for a fantastic post and a all round enjoyable blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to browse it all at the moment but I have book-marked it and also added your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read a great deal more, Please do keep up the awesome work. a course in miracles

    ReplyDelete
  4. Very interesting points you have remarked, appreciate it for putting up. Windshield Replacement

    ReplyDelete
  5. So many writers today don’t take pride in their work the way you obviously do. Thank you for your dedication to excellent writing and creating this wonderful content. It’s as if you read my mind. Used Jeep Parts

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a lovely blog. I will certainly be back. Please keep writing! volante momo

    ReplyDelete
  7. This internet site is my breathing in, very good style and perfect content material . automotive blogs

    ReplyDelete
  8. car makers UN agency need to share technical data with freelance garages by law, electrical makers square measure below no such obligation. this could mean that if you would like your appliance repaired, you have got to travel through the manufacturers’ own repair team, one thing that might be way more expensive than associate freelance skilled worker. Rental Mobil Wisata

    ReplyDelete

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.